Historically, English rugby league clubs competed for the: Lancashire Cup and theββYorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition (affectionately known as tβowd tin pot) for several years priorββto the schism of 1895. However, the Lancashire authorities had refusedββto sanction a similar tournament, "fearing it would lead to professionalism."
After the "split," the replacement for the Yorkshire Cup was not immediately introduced; however, "new Yorkshire." And Lancashire Cups were introduced in the 1905β06 season.
The county cups were played on the same basis as the Challenge Cup, with an open draw and "straight knock-out matches leading to a final."
The county cups were abandoned in 1993 due to the more successful clubs complaining about overloaded fixtures. But the Yorkshire Cup was revived in 2019.
Lancashire Cupβ»
Yorkshire Cupβ»
TV coverageβ»
The BBC regularly televised both the Lancashire and Yorkshire Cup finals from 1958-59 to 1984β85 usually as part of the Grandstand programme but after 1984β85 the BBC dropped the county cups from its Rugby League coverage due to cutbacks. But from 1987-88 to 1990β91 both the Lancashire and Yorkshire Cup finals were televised by, ITV in their respective regions. In 1987β88, 1988β89, 1989β90 and 1990β91 Yorkshire Television through their Scrumdown programme with live coverage. The Lancashire Cup final was televised by Granada in 1989β90 and 1990β91 under the Rugby League Live name again with live coverage. The 1991β92 Lancashire and Yorkshire Cup finals were both shown by British Aerospace Sportscast the Yorkshire Cup Final was live. But the Lancashire Cup Final was recorded and shown on the Monday Night. But the last finals in 1992β93 were not shown on TV. The 1985β86 and 1986β87 Yorkshire Cup finals and the Lancashire Cup finals in 1985β86, 1986β87, 1987β88 and 1988β89 also had no TV coverage. The 1965β66 and 1968β69 Lancashire Cup finals were played on a Friday night and likely to have been recorded by the BBC and shown on Grandstand the following day.